Newspaper Page Text
Volume 129 Number 14
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Westfield Defeats
Mount de Sales
The Westfield Hornets golf
team defeated Mount de Sales
at Perry Country Club Mar 28,
but the remainder of the week’s
activity was halted by rain. 1416
Hornets don’t return to the
links until after the upcoming
spring See Page 2B
Midway To Fair
With 26 weeks until the
2000 Georgia National Fair,
we are midway (pun intended)
between the last Fair and the
next Fair. Plans are underway
for another exciting Georgia
National Fair October 6
through 15, 2000. However,
many events will take place at
the Agricenter between now
and the Fair. The following is
a 5amp...... See Page 11A
Stafford President
'My job will be to keep my
hands on the wheel,” said
Houston County Commission
Chairman J. Sherrill Stafford
recently of his upcoming term
as president of the Association
of County Commissioners of
Georgia.
In mid-April, Stafford will
begin a term in that position,
succeeding George W. “Bubba”
Bird HI of Candler County.
Presently, Stafford serves as
first vice-president for the
group that represents
Georgia’s ......See Page 3A
Be Sure The Food
Is Safe
Celebrations...Be Sure The
Food Is Safe.
Easter, Mother’s Day,
Father's Day, weddings, Me
morial day, graduations...the
list of parties and special oc
casions goes on and on.
We often celebrate these
special occasions by inviting
family and friends to a buffet.
However, this type of party,
where foods are left out for
long periods of time, leaves the
door open not only for your
invited guests, but also for
uninvited guests, such as bac
teria that See Page 6B
Interviewing The
Man In The Big
Shoes
A story in another portion of
this paper will tell you about
County Commission Chair
man J. Sherrill Stafford’s new
duties as he takes up the reins
as president of the Association
County Commissioners of
Georgia.
That is impressive, consid
ering he has spent a mere nine
years as chairman of this
county.
As a See Page 4A
Index
OPINION PAGE 4A
CLASSIFIED....PAGE 8C
JUST VISITIN’..PAGE 9B
SPORTS PAGEIB
LEGALS PAGE 1C
NEWS BRIEFS.PAGE 2A
Jazz Band
See Page 118
‘(Ehe pUmstott plume Puurttal
Legal Organ For Houston County, City of Perry and the State of Georgia
Pierce celebrates 26 years in education
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Photo By Lanorris Fleming
Perry High School teacher Susan Pierce discusses laboratory procedures with a student.
By Lanorris Fleming
Staff Writer
When Susan Pierce speaks
about education there is no mis
taking that she is truly at home
in the classroom. Respected by
students and colleagues alike
Pierce has made her mark on
Perry High School.
City reiterates P&Z’s no to developer
By Emily Johnstone
News Editor
Perry city council members
have echoed a ‘no’ recommen
dation by the planning com
mission March 13 to a pro
posed development in the
Northside Road area.
During a regular meeting
held April 4 at Perry City Hall,
council listened as developer
Richard Tritt put forth his re
quest to have about 20 acres
of property rezoned from R-l
to Planned Unit Development
(PUD).
The PUD zoning would ac
commodate plans for construc
tion of single family detached
residences that would have ga
rages in the back of the resi
dences with an alley leading to
the homes.
The homes would require
little maintenance which
would be attractive to retirees,
said Tritt.
Commissioners send two rezoning requests back to P&Z
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Photo* by Charlotte Perkin*
Donnie Free, realtor, presents his case regarding the Bear Branch
Rd. rezoning request.
Dogwood Festival
See Page 9B
Thursday. April (>. 2000
“I have been in education for
26 years,” said Pierce,“l think
this is my niche in life.”
According to Pierce, she came
to Perry High School in 1977 af
ter serving 4 years at Grady
High School in Atlanta.
She received her Bachelor of
Science degree with a double
“I see a need for this type de
velopment in Perry,” he added.
However, a large group of resi
dents in the Northside Road
area gathered en masse to voice
their opposition to the project.
Many of the same group ap
peared before the planning com
mission a couple of weeks ago
for the same reason, citing po
tential drainage and traffic
problems as concerns.
Allen Tabor, a resident of
Cherokee Road, said if an exten
sion to Northside Road is con
structed that leads to the Park
way, traffic problems could
arise. Tabor requested council
consider putting regulations in
place that would not allow such
an extension.
Another resident, Dr. Phil
Mathias, told council, “I don’t
want your water to be my wa
ter,” referring to drainage prob
lems he fears would ensue as a
result of the proposed develop
major in biology and psychology
from the Woman’s College of
Georgia in Milledgeville. She
then went on to receive her
Masters in Education from the
University of Georgia.
Pierce said her education
never stops. She is continually
learning day after day.
ment.
‘The City needs to address the
present water problem in the
area before allowing any devel
opment,” said Mathias. “And, it
is a big one.”
“I’m disappointed with the de
cision,” said Tritt following the
vote. “I wanted to bring some
thing Perry needed.”
In other business:
•Council appointed five citi
zens to the Downtown Develop
ment Authority. They include
Pearlie Dixon, Kim Mullins,
Rob Tuggle, Jim Mehserle and
Nadine Weems.
•Agreed to adopt an Emer
gency Management Resolution
and approved the Houston
County Emergency Manage
ment Agency Plan.
• Approved a low bid by Bill
ings Roofing Co. of $16,425 to
replace the roof of the Public
Safety Building.
By Charlotte Perkins
Staff Writer
Following back-to-back public
hearings at their Tuesday
morning meeting, the Houston
County Commissioners sent
two rezoning requests back to
the county planning and zoning
board for review.
The first of the requests was
for rezoning approximately 30
acres along Bear Branch Road
from R-Ag to R-l. The request
was made by Dutch Manage
ment of Dacula, for the purpose
of building a subdivision with
19 lots, or approximately 1.56
acre per residence.
The application was denied
by county planning and zoning
board at their March 20 meet
ing by a vote of four to two and
sent on to the County Commis
sion for a final vote.
Local realtor Donnie Free
spoke in support of the applica
tion, arguing that the planned
subdivision would be compat
ible with existing land use, and
that septic tank provisions
would be adequate to prevent
any hazard to nearby wetlands.
“I was also certified to teach
gifted a few years ago,” said
Pierce.
Every good teacher has their
own personal idea of what makes
a good teacher and what it is
that makes them good at what
they do. According to Pierce a
good teacher is professional and
demonstrates that professional
ism in every aspect of his or her
life.
“A good teacher has high ex
pectations of students and never
lowers them,” said Pierce, “I en
joy interaction with my stu
dents,” but at the same time I
must maintain discipline, be fair
and have equal treatment of all
students.”
Because of all of these things
Pierce sees herself as a standout
in her field.
“I am very structured and ex
pect students to perform aca
demically. I see my job as mak
ing my students a success,” she
said. “In the classroom you never
know if you have made a differ
ence, but when students come
back and tell you that you did
and they want you to stick
around and teach their children
you feel like you are really do
ing your job.”
Educating students today is
not the same job as it was years
ago, but according to Pierce she
would encourage others to teach.
“We are faced with so many
opportunities and challenges to
day and we are held accountable
for so much, but I would encour
age others to teach because we
need very strong teachers in our
Warren appointed to board
•fcflß' - • • •
Trudie Warren of Perry, the newest member of the Hospital
Authority of Houston County, watches as Houston County
Probate Judge Jenfce Spires makes her appointment official
Warren was sworn in during due March 22 meeting of the
Authority in Warner Robins. She was appointed to Mrs
position by the Houston County Board of Commissioners
and will serve a four-year term.
Free said also that property val
ues in the area would remain
strong with the proposed
change to R-l zoning for the
area under discussion.
A number of residents of the
Bear Branch area were present
at the Commissioners public
hearing. Among those speaking
against the rezoning were Dr.
Ken Walker , Jim Dryden and
Jaydee Ager. Walker, noting
that a number of the area resi
dents still used their land for
cattle, horses and other farm
related purposes, said, “We’re
not trying to stop change. We
just want to preserve our
lifestyle.”
Dryden said, “I run horses
and work hay on that land.”
Ager expressed concern about
the density of population in the
proposed subdivision.
Attorney Mike Long noted
that “the question is density”,
since homes could be built in the
area under the existing zoning,
but not on such small lots.
Commissioner Larry
Thomson noted that Free
not had the opportunity to re-
500
Tinvi' Sections Ml Pa^es
schools today," she said.
Like most other educators,
Pierce has her thoughts on the
new proposed legislation for
teachers.
“I think that teachers do an
excellent job of teaching stu
dents today, but we are not given
credit,” she said. “Those not in
volved in education do not know
what is going on in the class
rooms of today. “Maybe an
occassional visit in the school
environment might make a dif
ference in attitudes and the laws
that they pass."
Pierce is the wife of David
Pierce, Chief Magistrate Court
Judge for Houston County and
City Judge. She is also the
mother of one daughter who is
currently working as executive
director in the Harvard Univer
sity Women and Public Policy
Program in the JFK Govern
ment Center. She is active in
many school and communtiy ac
tivities.
Currently, Pierce teaches Ad
vanced Placement biology, hon
ors biology, College Prep Biology,
Applied Biology and Chemistry.
Her activities and interests
include the Garden Club, Cross
roads Civitan( upcoming presi
dent president of Alpha Lambda
chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma
International!organization for
key woman educators) and
member of the Perry United
Methodist Church.
Pierce’s other awards include
Star Teacher 1995, Teacher of
the Year 1994 and Tandy Award
Winner 1999.
view the standard questions
used by the P&Z board in as
sessing applications, and
moved to return the case to
P&Z to give Free an opportu
nity to present his point of
view. The motion was sec
onded by Commissioner Gail
Robinson, and passed.
Subsequently a public hear
ing was held on a request to
rezoning land at the intersec
tion of Hwy. 96 and Old
Hawkinsville Road from R-l
to C-2, for the purpose of
building a convenience store
and gas station. Several citi
zens were present to object to
the plan. This request had
been approved by P&Z, but
was also sent back for review,
due to the precedent estab
lished in the first decision.
“Right or wrong, at least
we’ve been consistent,” Chair
man Sherrill Stafford said.
Both applications will be
brought before the P&Z board
at their meeting on April 17
in the Annex Building in
Wprrer Robins. The meeting
begins at 5:30 p.m.